Kukla's Korner Hockey

If you’re looking for an update on Aunt Bessie’s cow, or information on last summer’s harvest, look on.

If, however, you’re looking for news and information on the top minor league affiliates of the NHL’s Southeast Division clubs, you’re in the right place.

In years past, I would run News from Norfolk as a regular feature on Tampa Bay’s AHL affiliate and now, News from the Farm will feature the Charlotte Checkers, Chicago Wolves, Hershey Bears and Rochester Americans along with the Admirals, to follow the progress of the Southeast’s future stars at the AHL level (and, at least for now, Michael Nylander and Sheldon Souray too).

We’ll look at game results, standings, league and team-leading scorers and goaltenders, pick a player of the week, have a glance at the schedule ahead and keep you abreast of any other developments for these players and their clubs.

Thursday seemed as good a day as any for this weekly feature, so that’s where it will be slotted in to start (and this week, as the first installment, there’s plenty of AHL action to catch up on).

Norfolk is tied with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the early East Division lead at 4-0-0-0 for 8 points on the young season. Hershey ranks fourth in the division at 2-1-0-1, trailing the Admirals by 3 points. Charlotte’s slow, 1-5-0-0 start has them in eighth at present with just 2 points.

Rochester ranks second in the Western Conference’s North Division at 3-3-0-0, 1 point behind division-leading Abbotsford, while Chicago is fourth in the West Division, 3-2-0-0, 4 points shy of the first-place Peoria Rivermen.

10/20: Forward Scott Reynolds released from professional tryout contract by Rochester.
Defenseman Keaton Ellerby recalled from Rochester by Florida (NHL).

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

With three goals and nine points in Hershey’s first four games, forward Keith Aucoin is our first player of the week of 2010-11. Aucoin is off to a fine start after posting career bests in goals (35) and points (106) in 72 games for Hershey last season and also filled in nicely for the Capitals in spot duty with a goal and five points in nine NHL games.

Comments

Hi, I don’t read your blogs but I do become annoyed (horrible life I have) by the amount of “Filed in” and “Tags” that you use for every player or team inside your posts. Can that be curbed at all like the other blogs?